Pivot-pin support for couplings.



POPE. PIVOT PIN SUPPORT FOR COUPLINGS.

LED AN.1B,1907.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

2 SKEETB-S H. F. POPE.

PIVOT PIN SUPPORT FOR COUPLINGS. APPLICATION 11.21) JANJB, 1907.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

2 8HEBTBSHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR COLUMDM PLANOGRAPH (0.,WAS rrrrrrrrrrr c,

smi es PATENT FFICE.

HENRY F. POPE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE GASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PIVOT-PIN SUPPORT FOR COUPLINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I atented Sept. 2, 19.13.

Application filed January 18, 1907. Serial No. 352,880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY F. Porn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Pivot-Pin Support for Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whi.ch

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the lower lug of a car coupler of the Master Oar Builders type showing the supporting stirrup; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view showing the stirrup in section; Fig. i is a front elevation of the stirrup before it has been closed on the coupler head; Fig. 5 is a. view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification; Fig. 6 shows the stirrup adapted for use with the device of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a vertical section; and Fig. 8 a bottom plan view of a modification; and Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the line IXIX of Fig. 8.

My invention provides efficient means whereby the broken part of the pivot pin of a coupler can be upheld from dropping from its pivot-hole in case it should break. It is an important safety device, for if a broken pin can be retained with security it will continue to serve as a pivot for the knuckle. It is essential to the success of such support that it should be reliable and should not itself be apt to be broken or displaced, and these qualities are present in a high degree in my device which although movable on the coupler head into and out of supporting position, is nevertheless secured to the coupler head in such manner as to be a permanent part thereof.

The invention comprises a pivot-pin support which is permanently mounted at the base of the coupler in such manner that it can bemoved into and out of supporting position. It can assume various forms, some of which I show in the drawings and will now describe.

In Fig. 1, 2 is the pivot-pin and 3 is the lower lug of the coupler-head. This lug terminates in a bottom extension which is preferably constituted by opposite vertical lugs 4: separated by intermediate spaces 5 through which a cotter pin can be inserted into the hole 6 at the end of the pivot-pin, the pivot-pin being inserted from above and preferably having the usual pin head. 7 is the supporting stirrup which is preferably made of malleablematerial such as malleable cast iron or pressed steel or cast steel, and is prefe ably of general U-forni having studs 8. .l. he stirrup is set in place by bending its ends inwardly so that the studs will enter opposite holes in the lugs 4t. The body of the stirrup will then extend beneath the pivot-pin and will tend to remain in that position by reason of its gravity and to resume that position when displaced therefrom, but if it is desired to move it for the purpose of taking out a broken pivot-pin from below or forcing the pin upward, the stirrup can be swung to one side as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and is not restrained from such motion by the pivot-pin. This is advantageous, for it affords ready access to the bottom of the pivot-pin for removal thereof when broken. The easy movability of the device enables the traininen to ascertain whether the pin is whole. This device is also desirable, because it presents no obstruction to the driving of a drifting tool through the pin-hole. The stirrup remains a permanent fixture on the coupler head and is not apt to be broken or dislodged. My invention has a further ad- 'antage that it enables the coupler to be used either with a pivot pin inserted from below or one which is inserted from above. \Vhen it is inserted from below the stirrup is not used but can be replaced by a bolt, the construction of the coupler-head for my device permitting this to be done.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and (5, the stirrup has its studs 8' on the outside and it is therefore inserted between the lugs l and is bent outwardly so as to push the studs into the holes of the lugs. In this case the lugs should be spaced farther apart than in Fig. 1.

In the modification shown in F 7, 8 and 9, the stirrup 7 is not of U-shape, but has a single stud or pintle S journaled in a hole in a vertical lug l of the couplerhcad, and the body and base of the stirrup extend in L form downwardly therefrom and the base projects under the end of the pivot-pin. The stud 8 is held in its pivot hole by a cotter 9.

I claim A car coupler pivot-pin retainer comprising a stirrup having a horizontal bar and a vertical bar, a stud extending from said verwithout function in the normal condition tical bar on which the stirrup is adapted to of the parts and being movable to one side turn, a downwardly extending lug on the against the action of gravity for the removal bottom of the coupler adjacent to the pivot of the pin; substantially as described. 5 pin hole through said coupler and having an In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 15 orifice therethrough for the reception of said my hand. stud, the horizontal bar of the stirrup being HENRY F. POPE. normally held by gravity across the lower Witnesses: end of the pivot hole to retain the pivot HARRY E. ORR,

10 pin within the coupler, said stirrup being CHARLES E. POPE.

Gopies,of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

